The Angel's Wings Are Broken
by Bejiin
Summary: Long blond hair and luminous blue eyes haunt Mamoru. What is this creature that follows him? An angel... a girl... a hallucination? (A/R FuF co-written with Ekaterinn)
1. The Angel

Hello minna! This is Ekaterinn and Bejiin with the first part of a new TAFF   
fic! We hope you enjoy it. Happy TAFF/WAFF day!  
  
The Angel's Wings Are Broken  
By Ekaterinn Ciel Duval and Bejiin Melanie Ripley  
Genre: AU, TAFF  
Disclaimer: Neither of us owns Sailor Moon, through Bej owns a very nice   
Sailor Moon wand. ^_~  
  
Part One:  
  
  
Mamoru stood and watched as the sun set in the tiny park near his   
apartment. The wind rustled in the trees as the stars slowly reclaimed the   
day's yellow rays and the sun sunk away into the purplish horizon. He had   
heard that it was supposed to be beautiful, but somehow that beauty didn't   
touch him. Mamoru sighed and turned towards his apartment building.  
  
Today was his birthday. He was 19, if the date, August 21, the doctors had   
given him was right. He didn't know himself, because the accident that had   
taken his parents from him had also taken all his early memories. This was   
the first birthday he had celebrated outside the cold and impersonal   
orphanage he had spent fifteen years in, having achieved independence only   
last year. Not that he had really celebrated his birthdays in the orphanage   
or even had gotten a cake and if asked, he would deny that he wanted   
anything of the kind. But still. Today was his birthday.  
  
Reaching his apartment building, Mamoru shook his head at himself. //Stop   
thinking useless thoughts, baka, and start concentrating on the organic chem   
test you have tomorrow.// He punched in the numbers on the elevator and   
began mumbling under his breath: "You can oxidize aldehydes and ketones to   
carboxylic acids by KMnO4 and H3O+. It's also possible to add a carboxylic   
acid functional group by aqueous workup and grignard reag- ow!" He had   
nearly stumbled over something in his doorway. "Huh?" Mamoru leaned down   
to look at it and found himself staring at a white box wrapped with a shiny   
red ribbon. "A...present?" Puzzled, Mamoru picked up the box, still not   
sure if it was meant for him, and walked into his apartment with it.  
  
Once inside, he sat down on his black sofa and carefully unwrapped the   
ribbon and set it aside. Opening the box, he found a small slip of paper on   
top of the white tissue paper. Picking it up, he read "Happy Birthday,   
Mamoru! -Motoki and Reika." Unwillingly, he smiled. No matter what he   
said earlier, it felt good that his best, if only, friend Motoki and   
Motoki's girlfriend Reika had remembered his birthday. He set the card down   
next to the ribbon and turned his attention back to the box. The white   
paper crinkled as he parted it to reveal a three-foot-high doll with blue   
eyes and long blond hair done up in buns at the top, but then allowed to   
flow freely almost all the way to her feet. She was wearing a blue and   
white kimono, with a small nametag attached that declared her name to be   
Usagi. Mamoru blinked. What on earth had possessed Motoki and Reika to get   
him a DOLL for his birthday?  
  
He looked at it again, nonplused. Still...a present was a present, he   
guessed. Sitting the doll down on the sofa, he smiled and at it and said,   
turning towards the kitchen "Looks like it's just me and you for dinner."  
  
"That's okay." He heard a voice say sweetly.  
  
Mamoru spun around, but there was no one there except the doll. He laughed   
nervously "I must be losing my mind if I think a doll is talking to me."   
Breathing a sigh of relief, he moved towards the kitchen once again, only to   
be stopped by the same sweet voice.  
  
"But I'm not a doll."  
  
Mamoru turned around slowly. A fully fleshed and breathing young girl was   
sitting on the sofa, wearing a skimpy blue and white dress done in the same   
pattern as the doll's kimono was. She looked about fifteen. He head was   
tilted in a quizzical expression, and she was looking at Mamoru with the   
clearest blue eyes he had ever seen. "What?" he breathed.  
  
"I said, I'm not a doll."  
  
"But..who are you? How...how did you get here?"  
  
She smiled at him. She _smiled_ at him and he decided that having a mind   
was overrated. "My name is Usagi. What's yours?"  
  
"Mamoru."  
  
"Ma - mo -ru." she repeated after him, drawing out the syllables. "I think   
I'll call you Mamo-chan!"  
  
"Mamo-chan?" he asked, a bit taken back.  
  
Usagi nodded vigourously up at him. "Mamo-chan!" she repeated, hopping   
off the couch. He was surprised that her head only came up to his chest.   
"Hmmm, I'm hungry" she said, rubbing her stomach, "Do you have any food?"  
  
"Um, well, um, I was just about to make myself some vegetable soup."  
  
She wrinkled her nose cutely. "Ick. I hate vegetables. Got anything   
yummy?"  
  
"Yummy?" he repeated. She nodded. He blushed and looked down at the   
floor. "I have some chocolate." He couldn't believe he just admitted that.   
Not even Motoki knew of his secret weakness for chocolate. But when she   
clapped her hands and grinned at him hopefully, he couldn't resist. Quick   
as a flash, he duck into the kitchen and out again with two gigantic   
chocolate bars. Mamoru handed one to Usagi and watched in awe as she   
enthusiastically devoured hers before he had even eaten half of his.  
  
"C'mon, slowpoke, hurry up and finish yours! I want to go out for a   
walk."  
  
"But it's dark now." He said between bites, hurriedly finishing the   
chocolate bar.  
  
She frowned at him. "No, it isn't, silly. The sun is just about to set."   
Usagi pointed to the sky outside his living room window. He looked,   
incredulous, and saw the sun was indeed higher than it was when he was   
watching it in the park. //But..how...wait, what?// But before Mamoru   
could find the words to form a protest, Usagi had pulled him out of the   
apartment, leaving him just barely enough time to lock the door behind them.  
  
They ended up walking around that same small park near the apartment,   
watching the sun set for the second time. And as Mamoru watched the setting   
rays dance off of Usagi's golden hair, and as she slipped one hand into his,   
he thought he knew why people considered sunsets beautiful.  
  
They walked for a quite a while in the warm summer air with a only a slight   
breeze to cool them as it rustled the cherry blossom buds on the trees.   
Mamoru almost stopped walking at the sight of them, confused. //Aren't   
cherry blossoms only supposed to bud in April?// But then Usagi yawned   
loudly, distracting him and he forgot all about it.  
  
She yawned again, looking fragile and almost insubstantial for a moment and   
Mamoru grew concerned. "Oh, you're tired. We'd better get you home - I   
mean back to my apartment." He said, suddenly growing flustered. Since   
when had the apartment felt like a place he could call home? And why wasn't   
he looking for wherever this girl lived? And, and.. But then she gave him   
a sleepy smile and he was lost. "I'll take the sofa and you can have the   
bed, OK?"  
  
She blinked at him and shook her head. "That wouldn't be right. I'll be   
fine on the sofa." Mamoru didn't argue with Usagi, figuring it would be   
easier, as tired as she was, to just gently nudge her in the bed once they   
got back to the apartment he now called home.  
  
And indeed, it worked almost like that when they got back. Except that she   
pulled him fully clothed down into the soft mattress with her, and snuggled   
up to him so close he couldn't get free.  
  
He had just about resigned himself to falling asleep that way when   
Usagi asked in a sleepy voice, "What do you want, Mamo-chan?"  
  
"Huh?" Mamoru replied intelligently.  
  
"What do you want? What do you want, more than life, more than   
anything?"  
  
"Well, I want to be able to become a doctor, of course. That's what   
I'm going to university for, after all."  
  
"Oh." She replied, a little sadly he thought, and hugged him even   
closer. And so, Mamoru found himself falling asleep that way with a warm   
body next to his, chasing his frequent nightmares away.  
  
To be continued... 


	2. The Angel's Wings

Additional note: Hi there minna sama... I'm sorry for not updating this more frequently. Fact is that it's been done for a VERY long time now, however, when I tried to upload it to FFN, the site was down (as it often is) and I later forgot that I hadn't updated my story ^^; -- baka. At any rate, this is the next chapter and the final chapter and omake will appear next week! A special thanks to Caitlin for reminding me that I needed to finish this on ffn. ^_^  
Domo,  
Bejiin  
  
Bejiin: *sings* Happy Birthday to me...  
I live in a tree...  
I look like a monkey!  
And I act like I'm three!!!   
Ekaterinn: *musing* To fic or not to fic, that is the question...Oh hi, Bej. Too much sugar again?   
Bejiin: sUgAr?!?! Noooo I just wrote WAFF. The world is ending Ekkers! Run for your life!   
Ekaterinn: Hmmm...well its your birthday right?   
Bejiin: *nods* yeah something about turning 20 on the 20th... at least that's what the zookeeper said. *whispers* he's kinda cute, ne? I think he looks like Mamo-Chan. (^^;; )   
Ekaterinn: *laughs* Maybe! In any case, since it's your birthday, you're excused. happy birthday, by the way. *pauses and smiles slowly* On the other hand, if the world is *really* ending, could I interest you in some Highlander slash? *winks*   
Bejiin: *coughs* Umm.... I'll think about it?  
...  
...  
...   
nope!  
Anyway, on with the show!   
  
The Angel's Wings Are Broken  
By Ekaterinn Ciel Duval and Bejiin Melanie Ripley  
Genre: AU, TAFF  
Disclaimer: Neither of us owns Sailor Moon, through Bej owns a very nice   
Sailor Moon wand. ^_~  
  
Part Two:   
  
The sun shone into his room, warm and bright and Mamoru hesitantly opened his eyes.   
Accustomed to waking during the dark hours of early morning, he could not place why he   
had slept in this morning. He glanced at his alarm clock wondering if the emergency   
alarm he had set for 7 AM was about to go off only to discover that there was no clock.   
Had he removed it last night and why would he have done so? And why was he still in   
his school clothes? He glanced around his room slowly. What had he been doing last   
night... and then he remembered... Usagi!!!  
  
Leaping from the bed Mamoru glanced around in alarm. She was nowhere... Surely it   
hadn't been just a dream? The chocolate and the laughter and the magic in the park at   
sunset? How could all of that been a dream?   
  
"Usagi?" he shouted, his deep tenor voice risen in alarm. As he made his way into the   
living room he tried again, "Usagi??" but silence was his only answer. Perhaps it had   
been only a dream then, he thought, his hopes slowly, awfully sinking. Disparately, he   
call her name one last time as he headed towards the kitchen. "Usagi?"   
  
Soft and enchanting giggles answered him and Mamoru felt an instant surge of relief.   
"Mamo-Chan! You spoiled the surprise!"  
  
Stepping into the kitchen, he had Usagi in his arms within two strides. "You're real."  
He whispered into her hair.  
  
"Of course I am Mamo-Chan." One of her hands played with his hair and the other   
cupped his cheek. "What made you think I wouldn't be?"  
  
He smiled and shrugged, content to let her work her calming magic... school could wait.   
"So did you say something about a surprise, Usagi Chan?" Finally taking a good look at   
her, he noticed that she was covered from head to toe in flour. In fact, most of his   
kitchen was covered in flour and he imagined that his hair was also probably pretty well   
saturated with the stuff because it hung in the air in dusty clouds. Funny how he hadn't   
noticed that before...  
  
She smiled sweetly and crinkled her nose. "Well... you just seemed like a muffin kind of   
person so I was trying to... but the flour sort of..."  
  
He laughed. "How would you like to go out for breakfast Usagi Chan? My treat."  
  
Her eyes grew wide and the clear blue depths of them sparkled in the light. "Really?"  
  
He smiled. "Of course, just let me change first." He turned back towards his room with   
the same idiotic smile plastered to his face. The mess in the kitchen could wait... as   
could school... and he hadn't really wanted to go to work today. No, today he would   
show Usagi everything about Tokyo that made it wonderful.  
  
Walking back into the kitchen, Mamoru paused briefly to tuck his navy blue polo shirt   
into his faded jeans. Usagi, however, was no longer in the kitchen. She sat peacefully on   
the sofa, without a speck of flour, nervously playing with the ends of one of her long   
golden streams of hair. He wondered how she kept hair like that neat? Mamoru knew   
that many girls wished to have long hair, but it took a lot of maintenance. It should have   
looked more frayed and thin at the ends. Shrugging off his questions about Usagi's hair,   
he climbed over the back of the sofa and slid into a sitting position next to her. "Found   
you."   
  
"Only I wasn't hiding." Her clear blue eyes looked slightly confused.  
  
"Mmm, I know that, but I found you anyway and now that I have..." he pulled her into   
his arms and hugged her tightly, "I don't think I feel like letting you go."  
  
"But Mamo-Chan!" she pouted cutely. "I want pancakes!"  
  
He blinked. Pancakes? Funny, it was exactly what he had been feeling like as well...   
"Of course Usagi Chan, we'll have pancakes then. I know of a wonderful place on the   
way out of Azabu."  
  
She jumped up from the couch and squealed with delight. "Pancakes!" she shouted as   
she threw a triumphant fist in the air. Then reaching back down she pulled him up to   
stand next to her and bounced towards the door.   
  
Two hours later found them walking through the cherry blossom trees. He had never   
really appreciated the pink flowered tress before, but now they would be another of his   
memories. The warm spring breeze gently blew the petals sideways as they fluttered   
down towards the earth. All in all it was a lovely sight and the way Usagi would every so   
often reach out to catch a petal made it even more so.  
  
He smiled. "You know Usagi Chan... I think I love you." He said softly but immediately   
wished he had not. What if it was too sudden? He didn't even know her that well...  
  
"Did you say something Mamo-Chan?" her clear blue eyes reflected the fluffy white   
clouds that drifted across the Tokyo sky.  
  
"Odaiba..." it sounded sort of like 'I love you' and if she hadn't heard all the better.   
"How would you like to go to the amusement park at Odaiba? They have the most   
amazing Ferris wheel. I've heard you can see half of the city from the top."  
  
She laughed, a pleasant sound that made everything seem even brighter and the world   
hummed to life with golden rays of sunshine. "Yes please Mamo-Chan."  
  
Twining her arm with his own he guided her towards the monorail station that would take   
them to the island of Odaiba.  
  
The monorail was a rather new feature to the city of Tokyo. Of course the subway and   
the trains had been around for decades, however both of those used underground tunnels   
and crowded roadways to slink through the city like stealth creatures of a dark and   
haunting world. That was probably where the appeal of the monorail came from.   
Starting at Tokyo Tower, the brightly rainbow colored cars glided along a silver rail in   
the sky on their way across Tokyo Bay, directly beneath the famous Rainbow Bridge, on   
their way to Odaiba. Never once did the monorail leave the light of day, and with huge   
glass windows one could see many of the beautiful buildings that graced the skyline of   
Tokyo. Mamoru was slightly saddened that they would have to go inside at all. It was   
truly a lovely day out. Luckily, the windows of the car that they rode in were open; a   
first for him as usually the windows of the monorail were sealed tightly shut... In fact   
he had never been aware that they were the kind that did come off, however, the fact   
didn't bother him all that much.  
  
Usagi kept her eyes wide with wonder for the whole ride, one hand balanced on the   
window and held taught against the breeze. Every so often she would find something   
amusing in the city below or the sky above and she would point it out with a gale of   
laughter. Although part of Mamoru worried that the other passengers would be bothered   
by this uncharacteristic behavior or at least startled by the sound of her laughter, no one   
seemed annoyed and so the sensible part of Mamoru ignored the basic rules of train-  
riding.  
  
"Have you ever wished you were a bird, Mamo-Chan?"  
  
He turned his eyes away from her and glanced up at a seagull in the sky. "A bird?"  
  
"Oh yes." She smiled. "Just think of all of the adventures you would have flying free   
with no one to tell you no or to get back to work... after all your only job would be to   
fly..."  
  
He looked back at her. She was in every way a creature of whim. To simply fly away?   
But what about college, work, the future, the world? Surely those things came before   
ones own ability to be careless and free. "No. I've never wished to be a bird. I simply   
have too much to do as a man." He glanced around the train wondering if the other   
passengers wished to be birds. None of them really seemed affected by himself or Usagi.   
The monorail came to a half and Mamoru stood turning to give Usagi his hand... only   
she wasn't there. He glanced around the train in a slight panic, however, he did not see   
her. Maybe she had already gotten off of the train? Stepping onto the platform he   
searched the full 360 degrees of his vision however Usagi was gone.  
  
He walked dejectedly through a concrete park with a huge fountain in its center. The sky   
was very gray and it had gotten much colder. It made him wish he had his coat. To make   
matters worse light droplets of rain began to splatter the sidewalks. Why had Usagi left   
him? Where had she gone so quickly? He sat down on the base of the fountain with a   
sigh and held his head in his hands, elbows propped up on his knees. How would he ever   
find Usagi again? That question was answered, however, when two warm hands covered   
his eyes.  
  
"Guess who..." a falsely deep voice said while trying to suppress its laughter.  
  
The same goofy smile that he couldn't keep from his face all day finally crossed his lips   
again. "Is it the emperor?"  
  
"No" the voice answered trying to control the higher-toned giggles.  
  
"Bruce Willis?"  
  
"Ba... ka...." The voice laughed.  
  
"U-sa-gi-chan?" he asked in a sing song voice.  
  
"Hai!" she replied happily removing her hands from his eyes.  
  
The sky was once again a brilliant blue and the rain had stopped and even dried from the   
concrete. The world once again dazzled in the brilliance of the sun.  
  
"So do you want to ride on that?" Mamoru asked as he pointed to a large brightly colored   
wheel with dangling cars swinging from it. "I bet it will be pretty close to flying. We   
can even pretend we're birds if you want, Usagi Chan."  
  
She smiled the same smile that seemed to make the world brighter and gave an   
enthusiastic nod. "I'd love to ride on that, Mamo-Chan."  
  
Taking her by the hand Mamoru happily led her towards the giant ride.  
  
"Two please."  
  
The Ferris wheel operator looked at Mamoru in confusion. "You want to ride it twice,   
son? Why don't you ride once and then if you still want to ride you can buy another   
ticket?"  
  
"Oh they're not both for me. I wanted one for my..." he smiled at Usagi briefly. "my   
girlfriend."  
  
The man frowned giving Usagi a critical glance. "I'm sorry son but whatever sick game   
you're trying to play. I'm not selling a ticket to that doll of yours."  
  
Mamoru saw red. "You will not call my girlfriend a doll. She deserves more respect   
than that." As if to emphasize what he had been saying thunder rumbled off in the   
distance.  
  
The worker, who still looked rather perplexed, shook his head. "Sorry son. That was   
lightening and the policy is that I have to shut the Ferris Wheel down now. Please   
leave."  
  
Mamoru sighed. Perhaps riding on the Ferris Wheel was a bad idea after all. "I'm sorry   
Usagi. It doesn't look like we're going to get to ride this, but how about we go to the   
arcade instead? I have this great friend who runs an arcade over in the Juuban district."  
  
"Do you like video games, Usagi Chan?"  
  
She paused and studied his face, as if her answer would be important. She bit her lip and   
pouted. "I ... think so." She replied finally.  
  
Mamoru resisted the urge to laugh. It wasn't a hard question... was it? He smiled.   
"Well, I know you like chocolate Usagi Chan so how about a milkshake?" He wanted to   
stop by and thank Motoki.  
  
She smiled once again dazzling him. "That would be wonderful Mamo-Chan."  
  
"Hey buddy! Haven't seen you in a while." Motoki smiled as his best friend walked   
toward the counter.  
  
Mamoru nodded. "I've had a lot of work to do lately."  
  
Motoki pulled out a large mug and reached for the coffee pot. "About your birthday   
present, Mamoru. I'm very sorry but Reika did that without my knowledge. I have your   
real present at my house but I was going to wait until the surprise party on Saturday to...   
Oops-" Motoki poured the coffee nervously and slid the cup towards Mamoru. "I just   
ruined the surprise didn't I?"  
  
Mamoru smiled. "It's fine Motoki. I really liked my present. Where did Reika find   
her?"  
  
Motoki looked relieved. "I'm so glad that you're not mad Mamoru. When Reika told me   
what she had done I was horrified, and I think she found her in Unazuki's toy chest. It   
was a blond doll with long funny hair, right?"  
  
Mamoru blinked in confusion. "No, I don't mean the doll, I meant where did Reika meet   
Usagi?"  
  
Motoki frowned in confusino. "Usagi? Hmm... no I don't know an Usagi."  
  
Mamoru shrugged "You can meet her when you bring us our drinks. Two chocolate   
shakes please."  
  
Motoki grinned. "Chocolate shakes? Wow, Mamoru this must be serious!"  
  
"I think you're right, Motoki." Mamoru replied as he walked back toward the booth   
where he had left Usagi sitting.  
  
When he returned, Usagi had her gaze fixed on a video game console. A short blond   
haired boy punched furiously at two brightly colored buttons and moved a joystick back   
and forth with rapid motion. ON the screen a pixilated man in silver armor and black   
clothing jumped back and forth swinging his sword around recklessly. Mamoru shook   
his head. Protector Earth had to be one of the dumbest and most time consuming games   
to come out yet, but all of the kids seemed to love it. He slid into the booth across from   
Usagi and contented himself with watching her.  
  
She looked away from the game and into his eyes. Her eyes had a mischievous sparkle.   
"You know Mamo-Chan.... You sort of look like the guy on the screen. Are you trying to   
save the world and find your beloved princess?" she laughed.  
  
He could feel the heat rising to his cheeks.  
  
She leaned over the table and kissed his nose. "It's ok Mamoru, you can tell me." She   
whispered then leaning back in the booth she smiled. "So how does curry sound for   
dinner?"  
  
He blinked slightly confused. What had Usagi just done?  
  
She grinned. "Good, I'm glad. Curry it is then!"  
  
He reached for her small hand that rested on the table. "Usagi Chan? What did you just   
say?" he asked softly.  
  
"Curry" she replied with a smile, her hand slipping away from his.  
  
"No, before that." He searched her guileless blue eyes.  
  
"OK buddy, well here are your shakes."  
  
Mamoru turned around to see Motoki approaching with two decadent chocolate shakes   
piled high with whipped cream and a cherry.  
  
"So where's this girl of yours Mamoru?" Motoki demanded as he set down the shakes.  
  
Mamoru looked away from Motoki and towards Usagi's side of the booth only to find it   
empty.  
  
"Usagi?" he asked frantically as he whipped his torso around and knocked over the   
shakes with a flailing arm. The thick chocolatey liquid spilled all over dripping off the   
sides of the table. Jumping up from the table he glanced all over the arcade. "USAGI?"   
but she was gone.  
  
Motoki glanced at his friend in alarm but then with a shake of his head he went to grab a   
wet rag from the counter of the bar. As he wiped the sticky concoction onto the floor for   
moping he noticed a small blond doll sitting on the booth covered in chocolate. Racing   
over to rinse the doll off in the sink he wrapped her in a dry towel and took off running   
after Mamoru. Somehow it seemed important that his friend get the doll back.  
  
It was cold outside, Mamoru noted. Although the sun beat down on the barren branches   
of the tree's it did not reach the ground and Mamoru shivered. He could not understand   
why Usagi had left him. Had he neglected her somehow? Was there something more   
that he should have said?  
  
"Mamoru!"  
  
He turned around at the sound of Motoki's voice. His friend was still wearing his apron   
and ran towards him with a white bundle in his hand.   
  
"You forgot this!" his friend panted placing the bundle in his hand.   
  
Opening the towel slightly he saw the shiny gold hair of a doll he had sworn he'd left at   
home.  
  
The apartment was live with noise when he entered it. He could hear water running, the   
radio cheerfully played some sort of J-pop and he thought he could hear the metallic   
sound of rice grains hitting the kitchen sink. His heart rose because it could only mean   
one thing and yet he was uncertain of how. But it mattered not, sliding out of his loafers   
and placing the bundle on the dresser across from the door he took the step up and onto   
he thick carpeting of his apartment, Usagi was home!  
  
She was indeed in the kitchen humming to te tune on the radio as she rewashed the rice.   
"Three times, right Mamo-Chan?"  
  
"Huh?" three what?  
  
"The rice silly. You wash it three times right? For luck?"  
  
He gave a clueless smile. "Uh sure."  
  
Usagi laughed and finished draining the milky water from the bowl. Then adding water   
to the line she set it in the cooker. He watched in amazement as she walked over to a   
boiling pot and skimmed a ladle across the top of it. Carefully she took away all the oily   
froth. She turned to look at him. "There's an art to it." She said seriously. "You have   
to watch it. Always watch it or the whole thing will run from you and turn to disorder.   
So it's good that we're here to keep things in order, ne?" Then she looked at him more   
thoughtfully. "Well actually that's your job but.." she started to say softly but then   
quickly turned back to the pot.  
  
Mamoru blinked. He didn't know what she had been talking about, but he suspected it   
was not the curry.  
  
She reached for an orange box and pulled out the curry bon. Breaking it into five equal   
pieces she placed them in the pot and stirred. Then placing a lid on the pot she wiped her   
hands off on the Miffy apron she was wearing and turned towards him fully. "I hope   
chicken is alright." She said softly.  
  
He nodded, not one to argue when her presence was the only necessity. He led her away   
from the kitchen and towards the relative quiet of his living room. "Usagi?" he asked as   
they sat on the green cloth sofa. "What happened this afternoon? Did I do something to   
offend you?"  
  
She looked at him slightly puzzled. "Nothing happened Mamo-Chan. We came home   
and I made dinner."  
  
He leapt up from the sofa quickly. Her mary janes were indeed next to his loafers. The   
bundle on the dresser was gone also, though he did not notice that.  
  
"Is everything all right Mamo-Chan?" she asked innocently as he hurried back into the   
living room.  
  
He looked at her thought fully before clearing his throat but as he could not speak he   
shook his head instead.  
  
She rose from the sofa and smiled and somehow the indiscrepancies no longer mattered.   
"I think the curry is done." She noted as she turned back towards the kitchen. "You just   
sit on the sofa and I'll bring it to you alright?"  
  
He nodded dumbly and sat on the sofa ignoring the sounds of destruction in his kitchen.   
Not even a broken dish would ruin the fact that she was back.  
  
When she returned sometime later it was with two plates of steaming and messy looking   
curry. As she set the plates on the narrow coffee table in front of him, she rushed back   
into the kitchen to return with two cans of cola and two sets of chopsticks. Sitting down   
with a sigh, she handed him one of each and then pulled a plate of curry into her lap.   
"Itadakimasu!" she said brightly and smiled at him breaking whatever spell he had been   
under.  
  
"H-hai. Itadakimasu." He smiled back watching her put the first messy bite in her moth.   
Her smile grew as it did when she was enjoying something. Assured by her reaction he   
picked up a steaming carrot and a clump of rice with his chopsticks. While the curry   
flavor was wonderful he couldn't help but notice that his rice was crunchy in the center.  
  
When her plate was nearly empty she leapt up, shouted "Gochisosamadeshita" and after   
grabbing his plate she rushed back towards the kitchen.  
  
He winced at their clatter when she undoubtedly dropped the plates in the sink.  
  
"Let's go to the park!" she suggested a s she bounced back into the living room.  
  
"The park?" he mimicked.  
  
"Of course!" she bubbled "to watch the sun set!"  
  
And somehow he knew it was better not to argue.  
  
The sunset, like yesterday's, was magical. He found her staring deeply into his eyes as   
the last orange rays fell from the sky. Knowing that temptation was too great to be   
resisted, he let his face lean towards hers. He could feel the electricity on his lips   
slightly grazed hers. Craving more, he pulled her towards him and reveled in the feeling.   
He was immersed in Usagi as his hands ran through her silky hair and his lips caressed her  
soft lips. He felt warm and happy kissing her. Complete in a way he had not known was   
possible for him.  
  
Walking back with her through the now dark and quiet streets of Juban, he kept an arm   
around her waist and a blissful smile on his face.  
  
"What do you want, Mamo-chan?"  
  
He stopped walking deep in contemplation. "More than anything?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"I think I'd like to save the world" he said softly. "You know, like Protector Earth?"  
  
She turned to kiss him lightly on the cheek and he could see in her eyes that he had given   
the right answer.  
  
That night he did not argue. Changing into a pair of cotton pajamas he climbed under the   
covers to find her already asleep. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead,   
wishing to go to sleep like this always.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Wow... well. Glad to say that I'm done and it's the waffiest I've ever been ^^:;   
Goodness... A few notes.  
Itadakimasu- it's something that I don't think translates very well so I left it in even   
though I'm not so fond of putting Japanese in a fic. We've always translated it to   
'blessing before the meal'.  
Gochisosamadeshita- like Itadakimasu it's literally translated to 'blessing after the meal'   
but it's sort of like 'I'm finished' I think  
Bruce Willis... ^^;; He's very popular in Japan. EVERYONE loves the guy. No one knows why.  
Well, look for the final chapter on May 7th, darling Ekaterinn's birthday. ^_^  
Thanks for reading minna!  
Bejiin & Ekaterinn 


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